舞蹈进入历史:Jemma Van Jaarsveldt ' 24
阿曼达·马西斯(Amanda Mathis)撰写
Jemma Van Jaarsveldt is making 大学交流 history this spring as the first student to graduate with a degree in 跳舞. 2023年秋季新开设的专业, this effort rests upon decades of a strong 跳舞 Minor foundation. 对舞蹈专业的期待已经酝酿了很多年, Janis Dengler开始, 健康与体育名誉副教授, 谁在1960年启动了这个万博下载ios.
The 舞蹈节目 began as a dance ensemble elective and has expanded to include many forms of artistic expression, 包括爵士乐, 芭蕾舞, 利用, 现代, 为音乐剧跳舞. 利用现有的设施和万博下载ios, it became clear that 大学交流 would start a new chapter in the 艺术学院. Along with decades of alumni who enjoyed dance classes at Converse, 这个新机会使剧院兴奋不已 & 舞蹈系的教师、学生和未来的学生.
Van Jaarsveldt was a junior with a minor in 跳舞 when she learned that Converse was planning to expand the program to a major. That was all the incentive she needed to work quickly with the faculty and formulate a plan to become the program’s first graduate. 自从万博地址开始扩张, the program has grown to include 11 majors and 16 minors who have followed suit to declare a 跳舞 Major.
“It is remarkable to think that we have our very first 跳舞 Major graduate less than a year after announcing this program.”
Dr. 克里斯托弗Vaneman
“It is remarkable to think that we have our very first 跳舞 Major graduate less than a year after announcing this program last August,”医生说。. 克里斯托弗Vaneman, Dean of the 艺术学院 and Associate Professor of Flute. “This education addition allows our students to work at a higher level to advance to an MFA, which is the gateway to performance and teaching at a professional level.”
解谜
Allison Roux, 音乐剧舞蹈助理教授, arrived at Converse in the fall of 2022. 每学期舞蹈课程的注册人数都在持续增长, Professor Roux knew that developing a 跳舞 Major was the next step in evolving Converse’s programming within the 艺术学院, 它目前提供剧院, 音乐, 音频技术专业.
“当我来到万博地址的时候, it was clear that our 跳舞 Minor was strong with talented students, and the people who came before me did the work to create that program,鲁说. “This move to grow our program from minor to major depended on the support of our leadership, 哪一块是我们需要的.”
在与万博地址的同事多次交谈之后, 鲁克斯意识到这所大学可以开设舞蹈专业. 对舞蹈专业的期待已经持续了几十年, 在第一次谈话的18个月后, 在万博地址，一个新的专业成为了现实. “Converse 跳舞 students are not only talented performers and choreographers, but they are interested in the world around them and can use dance to pursue their other interests, 无论是社会正义, 其他艺术形式, 或者课外兴趣. 我们的节目是独一无二的，因为我们支持整个舞者, from their physical and mental health to their passion projects and artistic dreams.”
给学生的新机会
Dean Vaneman praises the degree path as “a great opportunity for students who want to go into a variety of dance-related fields while also getting a first-rate liberal arts education.” Dancing at 大学交流 combines practical and theoretical dance studies, 允许学生探索技术, 编排, 舞蹈的历史, and the physical capabilities of the human body that prepare our students for a myriad of professions.
这所大学提供B.A. 舞蹈辅修和舞蹈辅修. The dance curriculum treats dance as an artistic discipline in studio and classroom work, including training in an intense studio program and the intellectual rigor and scholarly growth of 为学生准备各种职业 through dance education with Converse’s Creativity That Works initiative. 这个课程的重点是艺术营销, 投资发展, and career management; blending the student’s craft with interdisciplinary skills will 给 them an edge when they pursue jobs and opportunities in the art world.
“We value the individual students when they attend Converse,” said Dean Vaneman. “舞蹈专业无缝地融入了我们的课程, 这意味着很容易与其他专业和小调搭配, such as an Arts Administration minor that will provide viability in the marketplace.”
舞蹈课程为学生提供了一个包容性的, flexible environment to develop their physical and intellectual capabilities in dance. 万博地址学院重视个人指导, 协同编舞过程, 文化参与的舞蹈教学法. Training is rooted in healthy, sustainable techniques that support injury prevention and longevity.
“Any performance major, whether 音乐, theatre, or dance, can be scary,” said Van Jaarsveldt. “You put yourself in a vulnerable position when you share your work. I chose Converse because this is a place where I’ve never felt that fear. 我的同学和教授一直在鼓励我. I knew I would become the best artist I could be because I felt safe enough to grow.”
Open to all 大学交流 students, the 跳舞 Major does not require an entrance audition. Students interested in declaring a 跳舞 Major can find more details and instructions 在系里网站上.
加入我们的团聚
在我们今年的年度万博地址同学会周末, 舞蹈系星期六要举办一场工作室拜访活动, 4月20日, 2024, 下午1:15到2:15在蒙哥马利学生中心. 来认识一下艾莉森·鲁, 音乐剧舞蹈助理教授, to learn about the new 跳舞 Major and catch up with beloved Professor Emerita Janis Dengler.